“Contentment Is Hard Work” by Carol Tavris

From the New York Times:

Years ago I came upon a melancholy fact: As the popularity of television increased in the 1950’s and 60’s, the number of inventors and do-it-yourselfers declined precipitously. This sad phenomenon reflects the paradox of the pursuit of happiness. Given a choice, many people choose narcotic pleasures that dull the mind and quell its restless search for meaning. Yet in so doing, those people give up the very activities that, in their complexity and challenge, offer the promise of real satisfaction.